Automatic time-stamp



{No Model.)

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1 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. 0. WILSON. AUTOMATIC TIME STAMP.

Patented Feb. 9, 1897.

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(No Model.) I

J. 0. WILSON.

' AUTOMATIG TIME STAMP. No. 576,644. Patentzd Feb. 9,1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. VILSON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC TIM E-STAM P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 576,644, dated February 9, 1897.

Application filed October 19, 1891- Serial No. 409,102. No model.)

1'0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. \VILSON, residing in Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Automatic Time-Stamps, of which thefollowing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to time-stamps of that class known as automatic time-stamps, and has for its object to improve, simplify, and cheapen the construction of the same, whereby a more compact and efficient instrun'ient is obtained.

In accordance with my present invention the bed-plate supporting the time-indicatin g dials or dies is made fiat on its upper surface, and the said dials or dies are supported above and rest upon the said surface,whereby boring and countersinking of the bed-plate are obviated and the cost of construction ma terially lessened.

Another feature of my present invention consists in a novel ribbon-holder which is detachable from the instrument and secured thereon by spring-clips, as will be described.

The bed-plate has secured to it at one end date-indicating devices or disks, and at its opposite end the said bed-plate supports a word-cylinder, thereby greatly economizing in space and obtaining a more compact and simple instrument.

Another feature of my invention consists in providing a locking device for the die or disk marked A. P. to indicate A. M. and P. LL, whereby the said die cannot be changed by hand from outside the instrument, but is automatically changed by the clock mechanism.

Other features of my invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a hand timestamp embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a per spective View of the ribbon-holder detached from the instrument and inverted; Fig. 3, a detail of the bed-plate and parts carried thereby to more clearly show the construction of the same; Fig. 4:, a detail of the bed-plate broken out to show the formof locking device preferred by me; Fig. 5, a modified form of locking device to be referred to; Fig. 6, a detail of the bed-plate, partially broken out; Fig. 7, a sectional detail to be referred to, and Figs. 8 and 9 details of the mechanism for moving the A. and P. die.

The hollow case A, containing the clock mechanism, (not shown, but which may be of any usual or Well-known construction,) has cast integral with it the arm a, provided with the tubular socket orsleeve a, through which is extended the plunger or red a provided at its lower end with the platen a and at its upper end with the handle a The plunger a is guided in the sleeve a bysuitable screws or pins a, extended into a slot o in the plunger and shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The case A supports the bed-plate I), (see Fig. 3,) which may be secured thereto by screws. (Not shown, but which are inserted through suitable holes 1; in the said bedplate.) The bed-plate b is made fiat on its upper surface and supports the time dials or dies 11 Z) and the ring I), on which may be inscribed any desired words, all of the said parts being above the bed-plate and resting thereon, thereby obviating countersinking and boring of the bed-plate to receive the said dies. The time-dials b b are connected to the clock mechanism located within the case A, as now commonly practiced in stamps of this class.

In order to render the instrument as 00111- pact as possible, and thereby obtain a neater and more desirable instrument, the bed-plate is provided at one end with extended bearing-arms b b having recesses or sockets to receive the journals of a cylinder 6 provided about its circumference with any desired or suitable words b only one of which is shown, the journals of the said cylinder being extended beyond the sides of the bed-plate and provided with a smaller or auxiliary cylinder Z9 having 011 its circumference words corresponding to the words on the cylinder b", the cylinder constituting an indicating-handle by which the cylinder If may be turned toits proper position.

The bed-plate has secured to its opposite end, as by thumb-screw b date-indicating disks b, there being-three herein shown, in.- dioating days, months, and years, respectively. The disks 7) are protected from injury by means of a shield or plate b (see Fig. 1,) secured by screws Z)" to the case A. The bed-plate b has cast integral with it on its front side or face a supporting shoulder or lug U having its uppersurt'ace made circular and provided with studs or projections titted into suitable sockets b in the lug U and normally forced outward into suitable holes or recesses on the inner circumference of the iinlicating-disks I)" by springs Zr", located in said sockets, (see Fig. 7,) the said proper position until positively moved by hand to rearrange or change the indications or dates on the disk, the said disks having on their inner periphery sockets for each date. By turning the disks Z) by hand the studs Zr" are forced into their sockets b and are withdrawn from one set of sockets in the disks and again engaged with another set of socket's in said disks.

by locating the date-indicating disks at one end of the bed-plate and the word-cylinder at the opposite end of the said bed-plate a more compact and neater instrument is obtained.

The bcd-platehas rigidly secured to it, p referably on one side of the time-dials No", a die 0, (marked M,) and on the opposite side of the time-dials the said bed-plate supports a die (market A. P.,) the latter die be ing provided with a preferably hollow stem or sleeve which is extended loosely through the bed-plate and is connected to the clock mechanism so as to be carried through half a revolution oncein twelvehours. The sleeve as herein shown, is provided at its lower end with lugs or ears 0, adapted to enter slots in a hub c on a disk or plate 0 secured on a shaft c, geared to the clock mechanism to make hall a revolution once in twelve hours, as described.

The disk or plate o is provided with a lug or projection c adapted to engage shoulders or teeth 0" c on locking-pawls c c" The lug 0* engages the tooth c on the locking'pawl c and prevents the disk being revolved to change the die 0 until the said pawl is disengaged from the projection or lug a. This disengagement is cl'i'ected by a pawl c" (see Fig. on the minute shaft or arbor c of the clock mechanism, which at every complete revolution of the minutehand engages a tooth of the ratchet-wheel c loose on the shaft c and having connected to it one end of a spring c coiled about the shaft c and having its other end connected to the disk 0 as shown in Fig. 5).

The ratchet-wheel c is rotated tooth by tooth, and, the disk 0 being held stationary by one of the locking-pawls-as, for instance, the pawl c"-the spring c is wound up, so that when the locking-pawl c is disengaged from the lug c the said spring will revolve the disk c with substantially great velocity until the lug c engages the tooth 0 on the lockin gpawl c In 0rd or that the disengagement of the loeking pawls c c from. the lug may be made more positive and this portion of the apparatus made more reliable in ope ration, the locking-pmvls c c are made long and curved to substantially conform to the circular shape ol the ratchet-wheel. c and the said pawls have secured to them at their ends depending pins o a wh ich are engaged by a cam (i fasten the surface of the ratchetwheel c the teeth 0 c being located substantially near the middle of the said pawls. studs serving to hold the said disks in their The pawls c c" may be provided with pins 0 0 on their upper surface to be engaged by an arm or hook secured to the hub c, the said arm or hook being shaped to permit it to pass by the pins A" c when the hub c and, its disk c are moved in one direction, as, [or instance, in the direction indicated by arrowiitl, Figs. 5 and 8, but which will engage the pins I when moved backward or in thellirection opposite to that indicated by arrow 20.

In order that the die may not be deranged or put out of position. by hand, as might occur by careless llitlltllll'lg, I have provided a locking device for the same. The locking device preferred by me consists of a bar or pawl. (Z, secured to the bedplate and engaging teeth or notches cl on the sleeve or stem; but I do not desire to limit my invention in this respect, as the hook c may form the locking device.

The bed-plate K) has secured to it, as will be described, a ribbon carrier or holder, (shown separably in Fig. consisting of two substantially cylindrical housings or end pieces a 6. connected together by side bars or pieces 0' The side bars or pieces are preferably integral with the cylindrical housings and are made substantially thin to give resilience to them, so that the said side bars may form spring-clips, which lit over and embrace the sides of the bed-plate and secure the ribbonholder in place upon the said bed-plate. The side pieces c are preferably provided on their inner sides with locking projections a, (sec 2,) which entersuitable imflentations or recesses c in the side of the bed-plate when the said ribbon-holder is sprii'ng over the bed-plate. The ends of the cylindrical housings form bearings for shafts c 6, upon which the ends of the ribbon c are wound, and one or both shafts are preferably split at their ends, as at a, so that when the shafts are fitted into place they are retained against accidental displacement by the spring action of the split end ot' the shaft, the split portion springing apart against the sides of the hole in the end of the housing through which they are inserted. The shafts are prmided with springs 0 which encircle them and serve to keep the ribbon under tension. The

ribbon-holder is readily detachable as one piece, and in order to permit it to be applied to the bed-plate herein shown the sides c" c" are provided near one end. with notches or recesses e on their under sides, which embrace the journals of the cylinder 0 and liC thereby permit the ribbon-holder to be applied to the bed-plate so that the upper surfaces or edges of each are substantially flush with the top of the bed-plate. The ribbon being wholly secured within the holder enables a considerable amount of time and work to be saved in replacing an old ribbon by a new one.

The side pieces of the holder have preferably secured to or forming part of them lugs or ears a which act as rests or supports for the ribbon.

In order to more effectuallysecure the time dial or die Z1 within the dial or die I) and thereby avoid danger of the die 12 becoming disconnected from the clockwork, as might happen from careless handling, in which the machine might be turned upside down, I have provided the die Z2 with a locking device consisting of a spring ring or collar 11 which is forced over the stem Z9 of the die 19 after the said stem has been inserted into the sleeve Z7 of the die b the said ring or collar fitting into an annular groove 011 the stem b, immediately below a shoulder on the sleeve b and forming an annular shoulder on the said stem, which because of the shoulder on the sleeve 11 prevents the stem from dropping out of the sleeve I2 The die 12 is locked to the bed-plate by a pin f, (see Fig. 7,) extended through a hole f in the bed-plate and through a semicircular recess f in the shank or stem of the said die.

I claim 1. In a time-stamp, the combination with a hollow case, a bed-plate supported thereby, a die secured to the bed-plate, a movable die 0 having the letters A., 1 means to rotate said die in one direction and consisting of a ratchet-wheel provided on its surface with a cam, a shaft on which said ratchetwheel is loosely mounted, a disk loose 011 said shaft and adapted to be engaged with the stem of the movable die 0', a projection on said disk, holding-pawls to cooperate with the projection on the said disk and disengaged therefrom by the cam on the ratchetwheel, and a spring secured to the said ratchet-Wheel and to the said disk to turn the latter when released from its holdingpawl, substantially as described.

2. In a time-stamp, the combination of the case A, the arm a attached thereto, and the plunger a an attached platen movably supported by said arm, of the bed-plate b, having at its front end the disk-supporting shoulder b integral with it, and provided at its rear end with arms b time-indicating dials b b resting upon the upper face of the bedplate, indicating-disks I) supported on the shoulder 17 at one end of'the bed-plate, and an indicator supported by the arms b b at the opposite end of the bed-plate, substantially as described.

3. In a time-stamp, the combination with the bed-plate I) provided with recesses in its sides, of a detachable ribbon-holder consisting of housings for the shafts upon which the ribbon is wound, and spring clips or side pieces connecting said housings and provided on their inner face with projections which enter the recesses in the sides of the bed-plate, substantially as described.

4. In a time-stamp, the combination with the plate I) provided at one end with arms for supporting the shaft of an indicating-cylinder, of a detachable ribbon-holder consisting of housings for the reception of shafts upon which the ribbon is wound, and spring-clips or side pieces to embrace the sides of the bedplate and provided with notches or recesses for the reception of the journals of the said cylinder-shaft, substantially as described.

5. I11 a time-stamp, the combination with a bed-plate, the A. and P. die 0 provided with a stem extended through said bed-plate, a disk 0 to which said stem is connected, a projection 0 on said disk, a shaft 0 on which said disk is mounted, a ratchet-wheel 0 loose on said shaft, a spring secured to said disk and ratchet-wheel, curved levers e 0 provided substantially near their middle with teeth 0 0 to engage the projection 0 depending pins on the ends of the said levers, and a cam on the ratchet-wheel to engage the depending pins and release the levers from engagement with the projection 0 substantially as described.

6. In a time-stamp, the combination with the bed-plate, of the indicating-dial b resting on the bed-plate and provided with the sleeve 19 extended through the said bed-plate and having the shoulder f, and the dial I] having the stem Z9 inserted into the sleeve 11 of a locking device for the dial 1) consisting of the ring fitted upon the said stem and cooperating with the shoulder f, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN G. W'ILSON. 

